{"id":3409,"date":"2015-11-23T08:00:54","date_gmt":"2015-11-23T13:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/roofingmagazine.com\/?p=3409"},"modified":"2016-01-25T08:39:03","modified_gmt":"2016-01-25T13:39:03","slug":"carefully-select-roofing-materials-maintain-character-historic-buildings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/roofingmagazine.com\/carefully-select-roofing-materials-maintain-character-historic-buildings\/","title":{"rendered":"Carefully Select Roofing Materials to Maintain the Character of Historic Buildings"},"content":{"rendered":"
Selecting a historically appropriate roofing material is often restrictive as a simple matter of economy. Not everyone can afford a new slate roof. But individually landmarked structures and those in local historic districts are often monitored by historic district commissions (HDCs) that typically require property owners to replace in-kind or with an otherwise historically appropriate material.<\/p>\n
Although the preference is replacement in-kind, an intelligent argument for an alternative can often be made. The HDC can consider other materials that were available at the time of construction, as well as what buildings of similar style in the community have on their roofs. A Queen Anne may have started with a polychromatic Vermont slate roof, but the commission can consider that nearby Queen Annes have monochromatic Monson slate or even cedar shingles. A Greek Revival may have a silver-coated tin roof, but few would argue with a homeowner willing to replace it with standing-seam copper. Let\u2019s look at several American building styles and the materials used to roof them.<\/p>\n